Viola Plant Named &#39;Bonny&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Viola  plant named ‘Bonny’ that is distinguishable by compact basally branching habit, medium to large single bicolored blooms consisting of two lavender-colored upper petals and two bright yellow lateral petals and one bright yellow lower petal, and flowers which are heavily pleasantly fragrant. ‘Bonny’ is hardy in USDA Zone 5 and blooms from early spring through fall.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/125,278 filed on Jan. 16, 2015, entitled Viola Plants Named‘Amy’, ‘Bonny’, ‘Sunny Jim’, ‘Sweetheart’, and ‘Blue Sails’.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Viola×hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Bonny’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Viola,botanically known as Viola×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by thevariety name ‘Bonny’. ‘Bonny’ originated and was selected from a largepopulation of hybrid seedlings from an open-pollinated Viola breedingprogram which was started by the inventor in 2010. The breeding programwas conducted in a greenhouse nursery in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UnitedKingdom. The aims of the breeding program were to produce a series ofnew Viola varieties exhibiting a range of flower colors borne onvigorous plants which are highly scented.

In spring 2011, the inventor organized open-pollination usingcombinations of selected, unnamed and unreleased seedlings retained fromprevious breeding cycles. The male and female parents of ‘Bonny’ areunknown. Seeds were harvested in late summer 2011, sown and grown overwinter as seedlings which flowered in spring 2012. ‘Bonny’ was selectedby the inventor in spring 2012. The inventor selected ‘Bonny’ togetherwith the inventor's varieties ‘Amy’, ‘Sunny Jim’, and ‘Sweetheart’, fortheir close similarity in plant habit and flower size and in order tocreate a consistent and uniform series.

‘Bonny’ was first vegetatively propagated by the inventor in spring 2012using asexual shoot cuttings. ‘Bonny’ has been found to reproduce trueto type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

SUMMARY

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thedistinguishing characteristics of the new Viola cultivar named ‘Bonny’.‘Bonny’ has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypicdifferences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, however, without any variance in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new variety when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.

1. ‘Bonny’ exhibits a naturally basally self-branching plant habit.

2. The foliage mound of ‘Bonny’ is 10 cm in height and 15 cm in diameterin its first season of flowering.

3. ‘Bonny’ exhibits medium to large single, bi-colored blooms consistingof two lavender-colored upper petals and two bright yellow lateralpetals and one bright yellow lower petal.

4. The flowers of ‘Bonny’ are 3.8 cm in diameter.

5. ‘Bonny’ blooms are heavily pleasantly fragrant.

6. ‘Bonny’ does not require vernalization to initiate flowers.

7. ‘Bonny’ blooms continually from spring until fall.

8. ‘Bonny’ is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The new Viola plant ‘Bonny’ is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographs which show each plant's overall plant habit including form,foliage, and flowers. The photographs are of plants 10 weeks in agegrown in outdoor conditions. The colors shown are as true as can bereasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. Bothphotographs were made from a plant which has been grown outdoors inOxnard, Calif. No pinching or chemical growth regulators have beenemployed. The photographs were made using conventional techniques andalthough flower and foliage color may appear different from actual colordue to light reflectance, they are as accurate as possible byconventional photography.

FIG. 1 shows a whole plant of ‘Bonny’ in flower.

FIG. 2 depicts a close-up view of a flower on the plant shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following is a detailed botanical description of the new Violacultivar named ‘Bonny’. Observations and measurements were collected inSeptember 2015 from 12-week-old plants which were growing in 1-galloncontainers out of doors in Oxnard, Calif. Color determinations were madein accordance with the 2007 edition of The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart from London, England, except where general color terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification:    -   -   Family.—Violaceae.        -   Genus.—Viola.        -   Species.—×hybrida.        -   Common name.—Violet.-   Plant:    -   -   Habit.—Compact.        -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Use.—As planted containers and in the landscape.        -   Propagation method.—Shoot cuttings.        -   Rooting system.—Fine and fibrous.        -   Vigor.—Moderate.        -   Time to develop roots (range).—14 to 20 days to develop            roots on an initial cutting.        -   Temperature to develop roots.—The recommended air            temperature is 20-21° Centigrade.        -   Crop time (range).—Under spring and summer growing            conditions, ‘Bonny’ will flower in a container after 10            weeks of growing from an unrooted cutting.        -   Vernalization requirement for flowering.—None.        -   Plant dimensions.—Foliage mound is 10 cm in height and 15 cm            diameter. Flowers are borne at 10 cm to 15 cm above the            foliage.        -   Cultural requirements.—Consistently moist soil or container            medium.        -   Pest or disease resistance or susceptibility.—No particular            disease or pest resistance or susceptibility is known to the            inventor.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 5.-   Parentage: Viola×hybrida ‘Bonny’ is a hybrid seedling selection that    resulted from the open-pollination of unknown parents.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching.—Vigorously basally self-branching and spreading.            20 to 25 branch stems have been observed in the first            growing season.        -   Stem color.—N144C.        -   Stem length (average).—8 cm to 10 cm.        -   Stem diameter.—0.3 cm.        -   Stem shape.—Cylindrical.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf quantity.—Approximately 12 to 16 per stem.        -   Internode distance.—0.75 cm to 1.0 cm.        -   Margin.—Crenate.        -   Leaf shape.—Ovate.        -   Leaf length (range).—2.0 cm to 3.5 cm.        -   Leaf width (range).—1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.        -   Leaf color (abaxial surface).—137C.        -   Leaf color (adaxial surface).—137A.        -   Leaf base.—Rounded.        -   Leaf apex.—Rounded.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Vein color (abaxial and adaxial surfaces).—137C.        -   Leaf surface (abaxial and adaxial).—Glabrous.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Petiole color.—138B.        -   Petiole dimensions.—0.5 cm to 1.0 cm in length and 1 mm in            width.        -   Petiole shape.—Sulcate.        -   Petiole surface.—Glabrous.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Inflorescence.—Solitary terminal flower consisting of five            petals.        -   Inflorescence quantity (peak flowering).—20 to 30 fully            expanded flowers at one time.        -   Aspect (range).—Facing outward to pendant when aging.        -   Inflorescence width.—3.5 cm to 3.75 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—4.0 cm.        -   Inflorescence depth.—2.0 cm.        -   Inflorescence shape.—Rotate.        -   Blooming seasons.—Early spring through fall.        -   Inflorescence self-cleaning or persistent.—Self-cleaning.        -   Inflorescence fragrance.—Pronounced fragrance,            characteristic of the perfume of violets.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence on the plant.—5 to 7 days.        -   Peduncle length (range).—10 cm to 15 cm.        -   Peduncle width.—3 mm.        -   Peduncle shape.—Cylindrical.        -   Peduncle surface.—Glabrous.        -   Peduncle color.—144B.        -   Peduncle strength.—Stiff, wiry.        -   Bud color.—143C.        -   Bud shape.—Mostly cylindrical with rounded apex.        -   Bud dimensions (average).—1.30 cm in length and 0.40 cm in            width.        -   Bud surface.—Glabrous.        -   Corolla tube depth.—6 mm.        -   Petal quantity.—5, consisting of 2 upper petals, 2 lateral            petals, and 1 lower petal.        -   Upper petals (two).—Petal shape: Reniform. Petals fused or            unfused: Unfused. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal base: Truncate            to cuneate. Petal margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal            length: 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm. Petal width: 2.0 cm to 2.5 cm.            Petal color (both surfaces): Predominantly ranging between            92A and 92B; 3A towards petal bases. Petal surface (both            surfaces): Glabrous.        -   Lateral petals (two).—Petal shape: Reniform. Petals fused or            unfused: Fused. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal base: Truncate.            Petal margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal length: 1.2            cm to 1.5 cm. Petal width: 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Petal color            (both surfaces): Predominantly 3A; outer margins ranging            between 92A and 92B. Petal surface (both surfaces):            Glabrous.        -   Lower petal (one).—Petal shape: Obcordate. Petal apex:            Emarginate. Fully developed petal exhibits broad notch at            apex. Depth of notch: 0.3 cm. Petal base: Truncate. Petal            margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal length: 1.5 cm to            1.7 cm. Petal width: 2.0 cm to 2.2 cm. Petal color (both            surfaces): Predominantly 3A; outer margins and some veining            92B. Petal surface (both surfaces): Glabrous.        -   Calyx shape.—Stellate.        -   Calyx diameter.—2 cm.        -   Sepals.—5 in number.        -   Sepal dimensions.—1 cm in length and 0.40 cm in width.        -   Fused or unfused.—Sepals unfused.        -   Sepal color (both surfaces).—138A.        -   Sepal apex.—Acute.        -   Sepal base.—Truncate.        -   Sepal surface.—Glabrous.        -   Sepal margin.—Entire.        -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Nectar spur.—Characteristic of Viola cornuta. Protrudes            through calyx, length 14 mm, diameter 1.5 mm.        -   Spur color.—8D, becoming 85B at apex.        -   Spur apex shape.—Rounded.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen quantity.—5 joined around ovary.        -   Stamen length.—4 mm.        -   Stamen color.—145D.        -   Anther shape and dimensions.—Ellipsoid, 3.5 mm in length,            2.0 mm in width.        -   Anther color.—164A.        -   Pollen color.—155C.        -   Pollen quantity.—Moderate.        -   Pistil quantity.—1.        -   Pistil height.—6.5 mm.        -   Style height.—1 mm.        -   Style color.—N144A.        -   Stigma dimensions.—Less than 1 mm in height and 1 mm in            diameter.        -   Stigma color.—N144A.        -   Stigma shape.—Globular.        -   Stigma surface.—Glandular.        -   Ovary position.—Superior.        -   Ovary color.—N144A.        -   Ovary shape.—Dome-shaped.        -   Ovary dimensions.—6 mm in height and 3 mm in width.-   Fruit and seed:    -   -   Fruit.—Trilocular capsule, length 8 mm to 10 mm, diameter 5            mm, color (mature) 162A. Capsule explodes to expose three            boat-shaped valves, 6 mm in length, 3 mm in width.        -   Seeds.—Quantity ranges from 10 to 30 seeds per valve. Seed            shape, dimensions and color: Globose, 1 mm in diameter,            color 164A.

COMPARISON TO COMMERCIAL VARIETY

The inventor is not aware of any variety of Viola, whether produced fromcuttings or from seed, which exhibits similar bi-colored flowers. Inaddition, the inventor selected ‘Bonny’ for the absence of prominentlower petal veining which is typical of many Viola varieties.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant named ‘Bonny’ asdescribed and illustrated herein.